AMGA Rock Instructor Course Print E-mail

The American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) Rock Instructor Course is designed for aspiring instructors who have a strong rock climbing background who are interested in improving their skills and increasing knowledge. The Rock Instructor Course places strong emphasis on maximizing client rewards while effectively managing risks. The Rock Instructor Course is a prerequisite to taking the AMGA Rock Instructor Exam, AMGA Rock Guide Course and the AMGA Alpine Guide Course.

Fox Mountain Guides and Climbing School works in conjunction to offer the AMGA Rock Instructor Course in the Southeast, based from our Headquarters in Pisgah Forest, NC.  The course is run at various locations around Western North Carolina at locations such as Looking Glass Rock, Linville Gorge and Rumbling Bald. Based out of our Headquarters in Pisgah Forest where we have a classroom with digital projector, WiFi and ground school workroom. This location is conveniently near Ashville (15 mins), Greenville SC (45 mins) and Charlotte (1.5hrs) Airports.  

"I have taught the AMGA Rock Instructor Course in locations across the USA in places such as NH, The Sierras, Joshua Tree, Red Rocks and North Carolina ranks as one of the best locations to hold this training" - Adam Fox. 
  
What is taught in the Rock Instructor Course?

This course will demonstrate where climbing with a partner stops and where guiding begins. The course addresses the skills and techniques used to guide and instruct on routes up to and including Grade III in length and 5.9 in difficulty. Emphasis is on maximizing client rewards while effectively managing risk. It will include instructional clinics and hands on guiding practice. In addition, the concepts of application and transition will be introduced along with the following: 

  • Client orientation, preparation and care
  • Professionalism in guidingGuides equipment selection
  • Time and pace management
  • Anchor construction principles as it relates to guiding
  • Choosing appropriate belay methods and stances
  • Rope and station managementRappelling and lowering with clients
  • Multiple client guiding
  • Short rope and short pitch techniques
  • Complete self and small party rescue concepts and techniques for multipitch guiding situations
  • Evaluating risk and risk management in your own guiding
  • Environmental consciousness
  • Review of certification exam testing procedures with optional mock scoring
 

Course Pictures

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Recomendations

"How can I learn to climb? I asked all around Charlotte and I got the same answer from Jessie Browns, Inner Peaks and Great Outdoor Prov. Co. All three said to contact Fox Mountain Guides because they were the best out there. So with 3 Fox brochures in hand I called to schedule the Rock Climbing 101 Course. I then took the Single Pitch Lead Course and then the ‘Master Class’ in December from Adam himself. It's been the best money I've spent for climbing yet!"

-Jeff Jenkins